Suction-cup.



C. D. McDONALD.

SUCTION CUP.

APPLICATION FILED Auefiza. I911.

Patented Jan.1,1918

' cna'nnns n. menonenn, orcnrceeo, mnmors.

socrron-cor.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 'Jan. 1, 1918.

Original application filed March 17, 1917, Serial No. 155,4. Divided and this application filed August 23,

' 1 1 917.: Serial'lto. 157,868.

To all whom it-may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES ALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suction-Cups, of

which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a suction cup more particularly adapted for use in connection with automatic die-presses for separating the work from a pile and carrying it into position to be operated upon by a feeding mechanism, and is a division of application Serial No. 155,449, filed or ch 17 ,1917, entitled Work separating means.

The object of the invention is. to make a flexible connection between the conduit and cup member so that the cu member may adjust itself todiflerent positions of angu larity with respect to the conduit, whereby the cups attain a full and eflicient contact with the surface of warped or other irregularl positioned sheetsof work.

T e invention furtherconsists in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of one of the cups of the present invention, showing it attached to a conduit;

2, a plan view of the parts shown in 1g. a Fig. 3, an elevation, showing a lurality he of the cups engaged with an irregu ar sheet of work; and

Fig. 4, a view similar to Fig. 1, with the cup placed in angular position with respect to the conduit.

In the art to which the present invention relates, suction cup mechanisms are blown which act upon a pile of work to-separate the sheets thereof, one by one, and lift them singly into position to be engaged by the feed mechanism of an automatic die-press.

Owing to the fact that these sheets of work are sometimes warped, or otherwise irregular, the suction cups will not gain full contact with the surface of the work, with the to result that a leakage occurs and the suction isbroken, whereupon the work falls away from the cups, or from one of them, and is thereby not properly transported into posi- D. McDontion for engagement by the feed mechanism.

larly to Figs. 1 and- 3, the cup as there shown is formed with an outer member 5 1n. the form of a ring, with -an inwardly extending upper flange 6. The inner face of the outer member is threaded, and meshing with this thread is the exterior, threaded surface of an inner ring member 7. Interposed between the inner face of the flange portion 6 and the upper face ofthe inner ring portion 7 is the edge 8 of a flexible diaphragm 9, formed of rubber or other suitable material. The inner edge of this diaphragm is clamped between a locking nut 10 and a flange 11 of a sleeve 12, which sleeve is exteriorly threaded to receive the locking nut 10; and fixedly secured to the sleeve 12 is a conduit member 13, in the form of a stiff tube, preferably of metal.

The diaphragm 9 1s preferably made of rubber or other flexible material, and when in position closes the open upper end of the outer ring portion 5,*and thus forms a s top cover for the suction cup. The diaphragm 9, being of flexible material and secured at its outer and inner edges only,

is capable of a flexing or yielding movement,

whereby the cup structure comprising the outer section 5, the inner section 7 and the diaphragm 9, may move into any desired an lar position with respect to the conduit 13, as shown in Fig. 4.

By referring to Fig. 3, the use of the device in practice will be apparent. In this figure there has been shown, on an exaggerated scale, a sheet of work warped out of flat condition. Two of the suction cups are in engagement with this sheet of work, and because of the presence of the flexible diaphragm 9, the cup bodies have moved into an angular position with respect to the conduit, so that they obtain a firm and efiicient engagement with the surface of the work, irrespective of its curved condition.

The device is extremely cheap and simple of construction and contains no parts that are liable to get out of order under ordinary conditions of use.

I claim:

1. A suction cup, comprising a metal ring 5 the opening, means for having a smooth lower-face for engagement swith the -work, a conduit member in the form of a rigid pipe, la-connection between- 2. A suct1on cup, comprising a metal ring having a smooth lower face for engagement with the work,' a conduit member in the iorm of a rigid pipe, a flexible diaphragm 1n the form of a flat disk having a central securing the outer edge of the diaphragm to the ring, means for securing the inner edge of the diaphragm to the conduit, said diaphragm forming a 010- sure for the upper end of the ring and forming a flexible connection between the conduit and ring, permitting the ring to move to any desired position of an ularity with respect to the conduit ando a universal of work,

. edge tain a firm enp with. irregular sheets of work, substantially as described.

3. A suctipn cup, comprising an outer ring member having. an inwardly extending flange at its upper end leaving-a central opening at said upper end, an inner ringmember having a threaded engagement with the inner wall of the outer ring member, a

rigid conduit extend into said" central openinggia flexible dis having a central opening, said disk beingclamped at itsouter between the upper face of the inner ring and the under face of said flange, clamping {means associated with said con duit for engaging and clampin the inner edge-of the flexible disk, and-sai disk when in position forming a closure for the central opening of said outer ring," and forming a flexible connection between the conduit-and outer and inner rings to permit said rings to move into any desired position of angulari'ty with respect to the conduit and the cup to obtain firm engagement with irregular sheets of work, substantially as described.

' CHARLES 1). McDONALD." 

